Repetitive contact printer



May 23, 1967 w. E. MILLER 3,320,867

REPETITIVE CONTACT PRINTER Filed Sept. 1, 1964 4 sheets-sheet 1INVENTOR.

3 9 F 29 6 William/E. Mallet ATTORNEYS May 23, 1967 Filed Sept. 1, 1964w. E. MILLER 3,320,867

REPETITIVE CONTACT PRINTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I III/Illrl INVENTOR.Wv'llia/m/EMbller BY FM, 4% Qu k M4 ATTORNEYS May 23, 1967 w. E. MILLERREPETITIVE CONTACT PRINTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 1, 1964 INVENTOKWlLIZI/nv E. Miller wgma'm ATTORNEYS y 1967 W. E. MILLER 3,320,867

REPETITIVE CONTACT PRINTER Filed Sept. 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 S QE I NV E N TOR. Wtlh'u/m E. M filler BY aaa yva a m III.

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,320,867 REPETITEVE CQNTACT PRENTERWilliam E. Miller, Salem, Ohio, assignor to Miller- Holzwarth, Inc,Salem, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 393,5939 Claims. (ill. 95--75) This invention relates to a repetitive contactprinter and more particularly it pertains to a stationary platen havingan inflatable air bag for holding prints and negatives together duringprinting.

In the art of contact printing various devices have been developed formaking prints from out or rolled film. Most of such devices, however,have not been satisfactory for sundry reasons.

A disadvantage of most prior contact printers of the repetitive type hasbeen lack of coordination between the several steps of their operation.Among other things, such printers have involved a manually operatedplaten for holding a negative and a print together during exposure time.Manually operated platens cause an undue delay in the printing cycle ofeach frame where a long series of different negatives are exposed.

Most platens are necessarily secured in a print-holding position duringthe exposure time by one means or another and require manualmanipulation as well as raising and lowering of the platen to remove anexposed print. Such manual operations are inconvenient where a longseries of negatives are exposed.

Moreover, manually operated platens are usually provided with softpadding such as sponge rubber on the undersurface for holding the filmin place during exposure. Such padding is unsatisfactory because whenthe platen is lowered it contacts the entire surface of the filmsimultaneously and entraps air between the negative and the duplicatingfilm which results in an unsatisfactory print.

Associated with the foregoing is a disadvantage of performing the otherfunctions such as advancing the duplicating film to the next frameposition, adjusting the time exposure of the frame, and ascertainingthat the raw stock such as the print or duplicating film and negativefilm do not have air trapped between them. The coordination of theforegoing activities with the manipulation of the platen is the primaryreason for objections to most prior contact printing devices.

It has been found that the foregoing disadvantages may be overcome byproviding a repetitive contact printer having a stationray platen withan inflatable air bag. Such a bag expands against the negative film andduplicating film to hold the same securely in place during exposure. Thebag is so constructed that after the cut negative has been moved intoposition beneath the negative, the bag inflates and sweeps away any airto the outer peripheries of the paper and thereby avoids entrapped airbubbles.

It has also been found that a repetitive contact printer having a printcarriage may be provided which is movable between a printing positionand an operators access position for placement of print paper. Theprinter reduces the number of manual functions to a minimum by requiringmerely that the operator place print paper on the carriage prior toprinting and removing the negative. The cycle of operation of theprinter between placement and removal of the cut negative is automaticwhich eliminates the disadvantages of most prior contact printers.Moreover, the time involved in printing an entire series of negatives isreduced.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide arepetitive contact printer in which manual manipulations by an operatorare reduced to a minimum.

It is another object of this invention to provide a repetitive contactprinter having an inflatable air bag on a platen.

3,320,867 Patented May 23, 1967 It is another object of this inventionto provide a repetitive contact printer having an inflatable air bag ona platen at the printing position and having a print-holding carriagemovable between the printing position and another position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a repetitive contactprinter by which the time involved in exposing successive negatives of aseries of frames in a roll of film is reduced.

It is another object of this invention to provide a repetitive contactprinter having an inflatable air bag on a platen at the printingposition and having means for advancing and metering a roll of negativefilm and/ or a roll of raw stock such as duplicating film.

It is another object of this invention to provide a repetitive contactprinter having an automatic step and repeat printing cycle by which aseries of negatives are successively presented at the printing positionwith separate prints, whereby the paper and negatives are secured inprinting position, whereby the exposure lamp is used for a predeterminedtime, and whereby the air bag is deflated to permit removal of theexposed negative film by a carriage.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a repetitivecontact printer which accomplishes the foregoing objects and desideratain a simple and effective manner.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in theart from the following description and claims may 'be obtained, thestated results achieved and described difficulties overcome by thediscoveries, principles, apparatus, parts, combinations, subcombinationsand elements which comprise the present invention, the nature of whichis set forth in the following statement, preferred embodiments ofwhichillustrative of the best modes in which applicant has contemplatedapplying the principles-are set forth in the following description, andwhich are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in theappended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved apparatus of the present invention may bestated in general terms as including a light-excluding cabinet having acontact printing opening in the top surface, printing light means withinthe cabinet for directing a path of light to the printing opening, meanson the top surface for mounting and advancing a roll of duplicating filmacross the opening by successive frames in the film, a platen mounted onthe top surface and spaced above the printing opening and providing aclearance therebetween, carriage means for mounting negative film andfor moving the negative film between an operators access position and aprinting position within the clearance, an associated roll ofduplicating film mounted on the film-mounting means and extendingbetween the platen and carriage, the platen having an inflatable air bagon the surface facing the opening, the bag being inflatable for holdingthe films in surface-to-surface contact during exposure to the lightmeans, the inflatable bag being deflatable after exposure, the carriagemeans being movable to the operators access position after deflation ofthe bag, and the roll film being advanceable by a distance equal to oneframe for the next cycle of operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by way of example:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View having a portion broken away to showthe source of light within the light cabinet and showing the filmmounting and advancing means above the cabinet;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view showing the film mounting andadvancing means;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view showing the film mounting andadvancing means with a roll of film therein;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a certical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 andshowing the air bag in the inflated position for holding the negativefilm and duplicating film in printing position;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another form of theinvention by which negative film roll and duplicating film roll are usedtogether;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of another form of theinvention having no print carriage; and

FIG. 10 is a wiring diagram.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views ofthe drawings.

In FIG. 1 a repetitive contact printer is generally indicated at 1. Itincludes a light-excluding cabinet or base 2, a work surface 3, and arolled film advancer 4 on the work surface.

The cabinet 2 includes an exposure light 5 which sends a beam of light 6from mirrors 7 and 8 to an opening 9 in the work surface 3. For a morecomplete description of the cabinet, reference is made to US. Patent No.3,141,398.

The work surface 3 which constitutes the upper surface of the cabinet 2includes the rectangular opening 9 through which the light beam 6 passesfor exposure of prints to duplicate film. The surface 3 supports thefilm advancer 4 for mounting a roll of duplicating film 18 (FIG. 3) andfor advancing the film into printing position above the opening 9 Thefilm advancer 4 includes an upright housing 11 (FIG. 3) for supporting afilm supply spool 12, a film take-up spool 13, as well as film reels 14,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, by which the film 10 is directed over theexposure opening 9 in the work surafce 3.

In addition, a platen generally indicated at 21 is mounted on thehousing 11. The platen includes a plate 22, a frame 23, and an air bag24 composed of elastic material such as rubber or neoprene. The air bag24 has a peripheral portion that is secured between the frame 23 and theplate 22, which frame is attached to the plate by spaced screws 25.

The platen also includes a mounting frame having a pair of spaced bars26 and 27, as well as a bar 28 extending across the ends of the bars 26and 27. The plate 22 is secured to the undersurface of the bars 26-28 sothat the piaten 21 is sustained over and spaced above the aperture 9 ofthe work surface 3. Both bars 26 and 27 are pivotally mounted on thehousing 11 by pivot pins 29. For that purpose bar 26 is shown mounted inFIG. 4.

Likewise, opposite ends of the bar 28 are pivotally mounted by similarpins 30 at the upper end of links 31, ,.1e lower end of which arepivotally secured by pins 32 on link brackets 33. By mounting the platenon pivot pins 29 and 32 the platen may be readily removed for repairpurposes, such as replacing the air bag 24 from time to time.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, an air hose 34 is attached to the plate 22 by.a connector link 35 so that air at a predetermined pressure may beinjected into a chamber 36 between the bag 24'and the plate. Thus, thebag 24 is inflated from the deflated position of FIG. 5 to the inflatedposition of FIG. 6 in order to hold the duplicating film 10 insurface-to-surface contact with a cut film or negative 37 duringexposure.

The printer 1 is also provided with a carriage 38 which is a rectangularframe having a central opening 39 that is covered with a glass plate 40(FIG. 6). The carriage 38 is movable horizontally between an operatorsaccess position, as shown by broken lines in FIG. 4, and the printingposition, as shown by the solid lines. A pair of air cylinders 41 and 42is provided for moving the carriage. Each cylinder is mounted on thesurface 3 and is provided with a rod 43, the outer end of which isattached to a bracket 44 on each side of the carriage 38.

An air hose 45 is secured to the back end of each cylinder 41 and 42.Likewise, a hose 45a is connected to the front end of each cylinder.Both hoses are connected to a source of compressed air for alternatelyextending and retracting the rods 43. Moreover, a pair of guide bars 46is mounted on the work surface for guiding the movement of the carriage38. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end portion of each cylinder 41 and42 on opposite sides of the frame 38 is concealed under a guard 46acomposed of sheet metal.

In addition to the plate 22 and frame 23, the carriage 38 includes aspacer frame 47 and a base plate 48 (FIG. 6). The plate 48 moves withcarriage 38. The central portion of the work surface 3 between the guidebars 46 is covered with slide plate 49. To minimize friction between theplates 48 and 49, the undersurface of the plate 48 is covered with asheet 50 of material which minimizes friction such as Teflon.

The plate 48 as well as the frame 47 have openings 48a and 47a which arealigned with the opening 9 in the surface 3 as well as the opening 39 inthe frame 38. The plate 48 extends rearwardly of the spacer frame 47 andhas a back end '51 which is aligned with the back ends of guide bars 46with the carriage in the printing position. As shown in FIG. 4 a platenswitch (or microswitch) 52 is mounted on the work surface 3 and isactuated by the back end 51 of the plate 48 when the carriage moves fromthe forward access position to the printing position.

FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose another form of the invention which permits theuse of rolls of negative film as an alternative to cut negative or cutfilm which is used with the plate carriage 38. For that purpose a supplyspool 53 is provided below the work surface 3 and within the cabinet 2on one side and a take-up spool 54 is provided on the other side. Thus,a roll 55 of negative film may be extended between the spools 53 and 54and over the glass plate 48 in the carriage 38.

Reels 56, 57, 58, and 59 guide the roll film through film openings 66*and 61 in the work surface 3. In addition, a film drive reel 62, that isoperated by a motor 62a, is provided for advancing the film roll 55 by adistance equal to one negative frame in the film after each exposure.

The reel 62 has a rubber surface for gripping the film and is aided inthat function by a pair of pinch rolls 63 which hold the film 55 againstthe reel 62. The construction and operation of the reel 62 and the rolls63 are' similar to those of the reels 19 and 20 (FIG. 3). In otherwords, the end of the reel 62 is provided with an adjustable dial 64 bywhich the distance of advancing the film 55 can be set in accordancewith the width of the negative film.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the reels 57 and 58 guide the roll film '55across and over the carriage 38 and in .alignment with the roll 10 ofduplicating fihn. Thus,

when the film advances reels 19 and 62 are set for equal advancement,the printer 1 may be used for printing roll film as well as cut film.

When used for copying roll film, the carriage 38 is locked in theposition shown under the platen 21 so that the glass plate 40 serves asa back-up member for the film 10 and 55 which extend between theexpanded air bag 24 and the carriage. The carriage is made inoperativeby locking out the platen switch 52 as shown in the wiring diagram ofFIG. 10 in a manner to be described below.

All other parts of the form of printer shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 aresimilar to those of FIGS. 1-6.

Another form of the invention is shown in FIG. 9 in which the printer isused primarily for printing from roll film 55. The form of the printershown in FIG. 9 differs from that of prior constructions in that itincludes no OJ carrier for cut film. A glass plate 40a is mounted acrossan opening 9a in the top surface 3a directly below the air bag 24.

The films 10 and 55 advance automatically after each deflation of thebag. When the bag is expanded as shown by the broken line position ofFIG. 9, the uppermost roll 10 of duplicating film is pressed downwardlyupon and in contact with the surface of the negative film 55. Both filmsare supported by the glass plate 40a.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 9, however, is not limited touse for roll film. It may be used with cut negative or cut film eventhough the carriage 38 is not provided. Where it is desirable to make anegative fromcut film, the roll is removed and a negative inserted uponthe plate 443a below the deflated air bag and the duplicating film roll10.

The Wiring diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used for the forms of inventionof FIGS. 1-8. For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, a foot switch 6 5is used to initiate each cycle of operation, which includes the steps ofplacing a cut negative 37 on the plate 40 of the carriage 38, moving thecarriage to the exposure position under the platen, inflating the airbag, closing the circuit through the exposure lamp, deflating the airbag after a timed exposure, extending the carriage to the originalposition, and ad van-cing the film iii by one frame for the next cycle.

The foregoing cycle is initiated when the operator actuates a footswitch 65 (FIG. 10) which energizes a sole noid 66 for actuating a steprelay 6? to energize a solenoid 68 of a four-way valve 69. Compressedair from an air hose 70 is directed by the valve 69' to the hoses 45aleading to the air cylinders 41-42 to pull the carriage 38- to exposureposition.

As the carriage v38 reaches the position beneath the platen 21 itactuates the switch 52 and closes the circuit through a relay 7! and atime delay motor 72. The relay energizes a solenoid 73 which actuates athree-way valve 74 for connecting a hose 75 of compressed air to the airhose 34 for inflating the air bag 24. Meanwhile the time delay motor 72actuates a time delay switch '76 for closing a circuit through a timer77 which includes a motor 78 and a solenoid 79. The solenoid closes thecircuit through normally open switch 80 to the projection lamp 5 therebyexposing the duplicating film frame 10 to the negative 37 (FIG. 6).

At the end of the exposure time the lamp 5 is turned off and therotating motor 78 closes a circuit through the normally open switch 82which closes the circuit through a solenoid 8-3 in the relay 71 andthrough a motor 84. The solenoid 83 opens a switch 85 in the relay 7:1and reverses the three-way valve 74 to exhaust the air through theconduit 34 from the air bag 24 into an exhaust vent 86.

By the time the air bag 28 is completely deflated the time delay motor84 closes a circuit through a switch 87 which de-energizes the solenoid68 for directing cornpressed air through the air hoses 45 into the rearof the cylinders 41 and 42, thereby moving the carriage 38 outwardly tothe access position as shown in broken line in FIG. 4. A circuit is thendirected to a motor 62:: within the housing 11 (FIG. 3) for rotating thefilm reel 19 to advance the film 10 through a distance of one frame, andthereby completing the cycle.

When the printer is used with a roll 55 of negative film, instead of cutfilm which is used with the carriage 38, repeated actuation of the footpedal is obviated by closing a selector switch 88 to permit automaticrecycling of the printer with each exposure. For that purpose a negativeadvance motor 89 is provided on the reel 62 for automatically advancingthe film 55 after each exposure. The platen 38 is maintained in theposition shown in FIG. 8 so that the platen switch 52 is held closed.Solenoid 9t) actuates a switch 9-1 after each cycle which opens andcloses the circuit through the motor 89 which in turn rotates anadvanced cam 92 that opens and closes a switch 93.

For the form of the invention shown in FIG. 9 having no print carriage38 and which is used primarily for the roll 55 of negative film inconjunction with the roll 10 of duplicating film, a simplified wiringdiagram may be provided that synchronizes the several steps involved.Likewise, the same form may be used for printing from cut film ornegatives with a corresponding simplified wiring diagram.

The device of the present invention provides a repetitive contactprinter having an inflatable bag on the undersurface of the platen whicheliminates the manual acts of raising and lowering the platen for eachexposure. The inflatable air bag has a more important function ofpressing and holding the duplicating film and the negative film insurface-to-surface contact by squeezing all entrapped air from betweenthe surfaces. For that purpose, the bag when inflated normally contactsthe film at the center and as the inflation increases the area ofcontact broadens out from the center to the peripheries of the film.Thus, all air is squeezed out from between the films.

The device also provides for use of cut negative film or rolled negativefilm either of which may be printed on duplicating film wit-h a minimumof manual functions. Where cut film is used, a carriage for the film isprovided for moving the film from the operators access position to theexposure position below the duplicating film and the platen. Where rollsof negative film are used, the carriage is inoperative below the platenand reel means are provided for advancing the roll of negative filmautomatically and in synchronization with the roll of duplicating film.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations a-re to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchwords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to bebroadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated anddescribed herein are by way of example, and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, theoperation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and theadvantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and usefulconstruction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious tothose skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a contact printer having a light-excluding cabinet with a topsurface, the surface having a contact printing opening, means formounting negative film and raw stock over the opening, a stationaryplaten mounted over and spaced above the opening, a normally deflatedair bag mounted on the platen and facing the opening, the air bagproviding a clearance space between the bag and the contact printingopening when the bag is in a deflated position, means for inflating theair bag to occupy the clearance space and cover the contact printingopening, whereby the inflated bag holds a negative film and raw stock insurfaceto-surface contact for exposure over the opening.

2. In a contact printer having a light-excluding cabinet with a topsurface, the surface having a contact printing opening, alight-transparent plate over the opening, means for mounting negativefilm and raw stock over the opening, a stationary platen mounted overand spaced above the light-transparent plate, a normally deflated airbag on the platen and facing the plate, the deflated air bag providingclearance space above the plate, means for inflating the air bag tooccupy the clearance space and hold an associated contact printing filmin surface-tosurface contact with associated negative film, and meansfor deflating the air bag.

3. In a contact printer in which a light-excluding cabinet is providedwith a contact printing opening in its top surface, in which printinglight means are mounted in the cabinet for directing a light beam to theprinting opening, and in which mounting means are provided on the topsurface for mounting and advancing a roll of duplicating film across theopening by successive frames in the film; the improvement including alimit transparent plate over the opening, a stationary platen mountedover and spaced above the printing opening, a normally deflated air bagon the platen and facing the plate, the associated duplicating filmextending between the bag and the plate, and means including anelectrical circuit and pneumatic devices for inflating the air bag forholding an associated contact printing film in surface-to-surfacecontact with a photographic negative, for closing a circuit through theprinting light means for a predetermined period of time, for deflatingthe air bag, and for advancing the roll of film one frame prior toanother cycle.

4. In a contact printer in which a light-excluding cabinet is providedwith a contact printing opening in its top surface, in which printinglight means are mounted in the cabinet for directing a light beam to theprinting opening, and in which means are provided on the top surface formounting and advancing a roll of duplicating film across the opening bysuccessive frames in the film; the improvement including a stationaryplaten mounted on the top surface and over the printing opening, theplaten being spaced above the opening and providing a clearancetherewith, carriage means for mounting associated cut film and formoving the cut film between an operators access position and a printingposition Within the clearance between the platen and the opening, theassociated duplicating film extending between the platen and thecarriage, the platen having a normally deflated air bag on the surfacefacing the opening, and cycle means including an electrical circuit andpneumatic de- 'vices for sequentially moving the carriage from theoperators position to the printing position, inflating the air bag,closing a circuit through the printing light means for a predeterminedperiod of time, deflating the air bag, returning the carriage to theoperators position, and advancing the roll of film one frame to set upthe printer for another cycle.

5. In a contact printer in which a light-excluding cabinet is providedwith a contact printing opening in the top surface, in which printinglight means are mounted in the cabinet for directing a light beam to theprinting opening, and in which means are provided on the top surface formounting and advancing a roll of duplicating film across the opening bysuccessive frames in the film; the improvement including a stationaryplaten mounted on the 'top surface and spaced above the opening forproviding a clearance therebetween, carriage means for mountingassociated cut film and for moving the cut film between an operatorsaccess position and a printing position within the clearance between theplaten and the opening, the associated duplicating film extendingbetween the platen and the carriage, the platen having a normallydeflated air bag on the surface facing the opening, the air bag beinginflatable for holding the films in surface-to-surface contact, meansincluding an electrical circuit and pneumatic devices for sequentiallymoving the carriage means to the printing position within the clearance,inflating the air bag, closing the circuit through the light means for apredetermined period of time, deflating the air bag, returning thecarriage to the operators position, and advancing the film one frame,and the electrical circuit including an operators switch means forinitiating the foregoing cycle.

6. The construction set forth in claim in which the air bag is providedwith pneumatic means for inflating the bag which means includes a sourceof compressed air and valve means for connecting and disconnecting theair bag and the compressed air source.

7. The construction set forth in claim 5 in which the carriage meansincludes a print mounting frame having a light-transparent surfacealignable with the printing opening in the cabinet, and in which thecarriage means in cludes pneumatic piston means for moving the framebetween the operators access position and the printing position withinthe clearance between the platen and printing opening.

8. In a contact printer in which a light-excluding cabinet is providedwith a contact printing opening in the top surface, in which printinglight means are mounted in the cabinet for directing a light beam to theprinting opening, and in which means are provided on the top surface formounting and advancing a roll of duplicating film across the opening bysuccessive frames in the film; the improvement including a stationaryplaten mounted above the top surface opening and providing clearancetherebetween, carriage means for mounting associated cut film and formoving the cut film between a printing position within the clearance andan operators access position, the associated duplicating film extendingbetween the platen and the carriage, the platen having a normallydeflated air bag on the surface facing the carriage, pneumatic means forinflating the air bag against the film and for holding the films insurface-to-surface contact, the pneumatic means including a source ofcompressed air and a valve for connecting and disconnecting the air bagand the compressed air source, the carriage means including a printmounting frame having a lighttransparent surface for supporting a cutfim above the printing opening, the carriage means also having pneumaticpiston means for moving the frame between an operators access positionand a printing position, and cycling means including an electricalcircuit and pneumatic devices for sequentially moving the carriage meansto the printing position within the clearance, inflating the air bag,closing the circuit through the light means for a predetermined periodof time, deflating the air bag, returning the carriage to the operatorsposition, and ad vancing the duplicating film one frame, and theelectrical circuit including an operators switch means for initiatingthe foregoing cycle.

9. In a contact printer in whicha light-excluding cabinet is providedwith a contact printing opening in the top surface, in which printinglight means are mounted in the cabinet for directing a light beam to theprinting opening, and in which means are provided on the top surface formounting and advancing an associated roll of duplicating film across theopening by successive frames in the film; the improvement including astationary platen mounted above the top surface opening and providingclearance therebeteween, carriage means for mounting associated cut filmand for moving the cut film between a printing position within theclearance and an operators access position, the associated duplicat ingfilm extending between the platen and the carriage, second means on thecabinet for mounting and advancing an associated roll of negative filmby successive film frame between the duplicating film and the platen,the platen having a normally deflated air bag on the surface facing thecarriage, pneumatic means for inflating the air bag against the film andfor holding the films in surface-to-surface contact, the pneumatic meansincluding a source of compressed air and a valve for connecting anddisconnecting the air bag and the compressed air source, the carriagemeans including a duplicating film mounting frame having a lighttransparent surface for supporting negative film above the printingopening, the carriage means also having pneumatic piston means formoving the frame between an operators access position and a 9 10printing position, and means including an electrical cir- ReferencesCited by the Examiner cuit and pneumatic devices for holding thecarriage in UNITED STATES PATENTS the printing position, for inflatingthe air bag for holding the associated films in surface-to-surfacecontact, for 1780701 11/1930 Crane 95-76 2,739,516 3/1956 Hosterman95-76 closing a circuit through the printing light means for a 53,169,465 2/1965 Patterson 9576 predetermmed period of time, fordeflating the an bag, and for advancing the rolls of film one frameprior to NORTON Primary Examinera succeding cycle. R. A. WINTERCOR'N,Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A CONTACT PRINTER HAVING A LIGHT-EXCLUDING CABINET WITH A TOPSURFACE, THE SURFACE HAVING A CONTACT PRINTING OPENING, MEANS FORMOUNTING NEGATIVE FILM AND RAW STOCK OVER THE OPENING, A STATIONARYPLATEN MOUNTED OVER AND SPACED ABOVE THE OPENING, A NORMALLY DEFLATEDAIR BAG MOUNTED ON THE PLATEN AND FACING THE OPENING, THE AIR BAGPROVIDING A CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN THE BAG AND THE CONTACT PRINTINGOPENING WHEN THE BAG IS IN A DEFLATED POSITION, MEANS FOR INFLATING THEAIR BAG TO OCCUPY THE